


Careless Whisper

by UninspiredPoet



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Angst, Ballroom Dancing, Break Up, F/F, Hurt No Comfort, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 12:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17345234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UninspiredPoet/pseuds/UninspiredPoet
Summary: As the music diesSomething in your eyesCalls to mind a silver screenAnd all of its sad goodbyes





	Careless Whisper

_”I can’t do this anymore, Sylvanas. **We** can’t do this anymore.”_

_“We could. We could do this for as long as you want, Jaina. The war is over. The treaty is signed.”_

_Jaina pulled back as Sylvanas reached for her and slipped from the purple satin of her sheets before she could touch her._

_She went for her breeches first, pulling them on as she faced herself away from the Warchief and the mess they’d made of her bed._

_The elven woman sat up slowly in bed and moved to the edge of it before standing, gathering her own clothes and slowly starting to pull them onto herself. “Why?” She asked - her voice scarcely loud enough to be considered a whisper._

_“Because.” Jaina murmured as she began buckling the supple white leather straps of her tunic across her slender stomach. “Because you promised me years ago that you would never come for me directly. And you did. And it was worse than I could have ever imagined.”_

_“Jaina, I...I never intended…”_

_“Intended to what? Raise my brother and then methodically break him? Do you really mean to tell me that that was somehow unintentional?”_

_Sylvanas was silent as she pulled on the black velvet shirt she’d been wearing that evening, leaving it unlaced and loose across her chest as she stared at the floor near Jaina’s feet._

_“Why did you come tonight, then?” She finally asked, her voice rather void of emotion._

_Jaina approached her slowly and when she was standing front of her she lifted her chin and leaned in to kiss her gently - her lips lingering against the Warchief’s cooler ones before she slid her hand into her hair and held her head close for a moment. “Because we both deserved a good memory. The woman you used to be...and the woman I still am. We both deserved that much.” She finally whispered before pulling away to step towards the portal she had been summoning while she spoke._

_She looked almost as if she were going to speak before she left. But she didn’t._

Sylvanas’s eyes had been on her off and on all night as the Treaty Anniversary celebration seemed to move around them without ever really touching them. And Jaina would be lying if she said she hadn’t returned a few of those gazes. The Warchief was striking in her high-collared all-black suit. And the silver fillagree adorning the sleeves and collar matched the silvered hair that hung down around her shoulders. Jaina hadn’t been the only one looking at her. But Sylvanas didn’t much care about the others. There was only one person she’d been trying to impress that night. 

It was like a dance within a dance. Neither woman caught the other’s eyes a single time. There were a few misses by a second or two...but always just quick enough to deny either of them that satisfaction. 

The later in the evening it became the heavier the drink began to flow and the louder the attendees became. So loud, in fact, that Jaina felt stifled. And when she realized she’d lost Sylvanas in the crowd she felt an odd sense of panic settle within her. Knowing where she’d been all night had brought her at least some semblance of comfort. And now she was gone. 

Jaina stood and took a step towards the center of the ballroom, the deep green of her dress brushing against the polished stone floor as grey-blue eyes scanned the gathering of people. 

And in between flourishes of movement and the ridiculous garb of the attendees trying to out-do each other in the clothing department, there she was. Unmoving. Strangely untouched by the drunken revelry around her with her hands behind her back and her head tilted just so. She hadn’t noticed the black tails of her coat before. Nor had she noticed the glittering thread that embellished her jacket also trailed down the sides of her skin-tight black leggings and down into heeled black boots with silvered toe-tips and heels. 

For the first time, their eyes met. And Jaina wasn’t sure she would ever be able to look away again. She swallowed thickly as one hand moved from behind the Warchief’s back in her direction - her palm open in her direction and an almost sad smile just barely gracing her lips. 

It would be foolish to deny such a public invitation. Disastrous from a political standpoint. But that wasn’t why she went to her. In fact, none of the ramifications of denying her played into her thoughts for a single moment. 

She simply couldn’t _not_.

Sylvanas didn’t take a single step towards her. She made her cross the entire distance alone. And as the magelights illuminating the floor from above hit her dress it seemed to shift - with her movements. Deep, dark blue into ruddy green depending on the angle. It was stunning. As was the braid her hair was pulled up into - interlaced with gold ribbon that played along with the streak of the bangs that hung and curled delicately against her face. 

Jaina’s bare fingertips slid against the black velvet of Sylvanas’s gloved hand easily. Like they’d never missed a beat in the year since their last night together. 

And Sylvanas bowed. Deeply. And held herself there for a moment before lifting her head first and then her shoulders. She pulled Jaina closer at the same time and guided her hand up to her own shoulder. “Lord Admiral.” She murmured as Jaina’s hand grasped her shoulder. Perhaps a bit more tightly than one might have for such a formal occasion. But she gripped it nonetheless. 

“Lady Windrunner.” She responded simply as Sylvanas slid a hand slowly down the bare length of her arm and retrieved her other hand - guiding it outwards and reaching beneath the frame of the younger woman’s other arm to press her fingertips along her bare upper back. 

In that moment the band fell silent. For just a moment. And it was quiet enough that Sylvanas could hear Jaina breathing easily. And she could hear the way those breaths were catching in her throat. 

The music returned and Sylvanas had been listening so closely she could’ve sworn it almost deafened her. And there was little else they could do but begin moving. 

They put everyone to shame. Every step was backed by years of good breeding and learning and grace. And the emotion of not having so much as spoken to one another in a year. 

Sometimes they were too close. Sometimes they were too far away. But they never touched for very long. No more than was needed for the dance. Every now and then Jaina would find Sylvanas’s thigh between her own through her dress as she was lowered back and those velvet fingertips dug into her just enough to support her weight but no more than that. 

There was longing in Sylvanas’s eyes. Apology. Regret. All of it unspoken. But it read as plainly as one of Jaina’s favorite books.

There was just as much of the same reflected back from the mage. A strange juxtaposition, really. All eyes were on them as the floor gradually cleared and space was made for their grand, sweeping dance. Such a beautiful thing to witness. The pain of loss expressed in dance. But it was a pain that was meant for no one but the two of them to know.

The song grew merrier and livelier soon enough. Too soon. And they found themselves surrounded once again - pushed, or voluntarily moving towards a nearby corridoor at the end of the ballroom. 

Sylvanas guided Jaina’s back against the wall and leaned in slowly, surprised not to smell any alcohol on the mage’s breath as their lips almost touched. Almost. 

She felt Jaina’s fingertips against her hips, sliding beneath the tightly tailored vest she wore beneath her suit coat to just barely graze the strong hips the luxurious material hid there. Just as Sylvanas grazed the swell of her breasts the low cut of her gown left exposed. 

They were both breathing heavily. Heavily enough that they could each hear it over the cacophony still hounding them from the ballroom.  
“Jaina…” Her voice was a gasp as she felt the warmth of the mage’s fingertips leave her skin. “Just talk to me. Please.” 

The mage tilted her head up towards the one already resting against hers and reached up to stroke the side of her neck beneath the curtain of shimmering hair that hid it. “Sylvanas...there isn’t anything to talk about…” She murmured, though she felt the loss of the Warchief’s touch against her chest in the very core of her being when it was removed. 

“Then...what was this?” She asked quietly, both of her hands coming to rest on the wall on either side of the younger woman. 

She inhaled sharply as she finally felt those lips brush against her own. But it was light...though she seemed reluctant to pull back. 

But pull back she did. 

“Another memory, perhaps.” She breathed as she leaned her head forward against the black velvet adoring her former lover’s shoulder. 

The old Sylvanas might have left. Pushed her away and stalked back into the ballroom to disappear. 

But this one simply stroked over her hair slowly for as long as she would allow it. 

It was much longer than she expected. 

But, as with all good things, even that came to an end. 

As Jaina began to make her way back down the hallway she turned to watch her. 

“And when will they be enough? When will there be enough good ones? Jaina...” She asked, suddenly - shouting so she might be heard over the noise as her brow furrowed and she took a step towards her. 

Jaina paused and turned just enough to look back at her. 

“I can’t answer that.” She spoke quietly. But she knew Sylvanas would hear her.

"Careless Whisper"  
Seether  
(originally by Wham!)

I feel so unsure  
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor  
As the music dies  
Something in your eyes  
Calls to mind a silver screen  
And all of its sad goodbyes

I'm never gonna dance again  
These guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool  
I should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I'd been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again...  
The way I danced with you

Time can never mend  
The careless whispers of a good friend  
To the heart and mind  
Ignorance is kind  
There's no comfort in the truth  
Pain is all you'll find

I'm never gonna dance again  
These guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool  
I should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I'd been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again...  
The way I danced with you

Tonight the music seems so loud  
I wish that we could lose this crowd  
Maybe it's better this way  
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say  
We could have been so good together  
We could have lived this dance forever  
Now who's gonna dance with me

Please stay  
I'm never gonna dance again  
These guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool  
I should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I'd been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again...  
The way I danced with you


End file.
